Another Favor

Instead of brushing her question aside, Jake stood in front of Janet and lifted his chin, looking her in the eyes, "The woman I was thinking about asking to be my wife told her lover that I was a lousy fuck."

Janet's quick indrawn breath told him she was as startled as he had expected.

As if it were a closed matter, Jake took the dishes to the kitchen sink. After closing the door of the dishwasher, he stood at the kitchen counter with his back to Janet. "Will your parents miss you if you spend the night with me, say Wednesday night?"

"What about ... aren't you going to..." Janet stuttered, her voice full of surprise as she asked, "You mean you're going to wait until Wednesday night?"

Jake turned to watch her face as he answered her question, "Janet you are an alluring woman. You're beautiful, sexy as hell, and I imagine you can be everything a man wants as a sexual partner. That is, if all a man is looking for is a hot fuck. I'm beyond the age of thinking that's all I want from a woman. I'd like to take a few days to get to know you better and let you get to know me. It will make an intimate time with you much more pleasurable for me and I suspect will mean more to you, too."

"Oh." She answered easily as if it was something she needed to think about, and then turned to the table to pick up the remaining dishes.

Jake turned to the coffee pot, refilling his cup, as he watched Janet place the dishes in the sink. As he leaned against the edge of the counter, he watched her slender frame moving around the kitchen.

He took a quick sip from his cup, and when Janet turned to look at him, he placed the cup on the counter behind him. "Janet, do you masturbate?"

Her head jerked up, "What business..." Her anger dissipated almost instantly, thinking about their agreement. Instead of objecting that his question was an invasion of her privacy, she answered, "Yes, sometimes."

"How often, every day, a couple of times a day, every other day, or a couple of times a week?"

Janet took a deep breath and after lifting one shoulder then letting it fall back down, she answered, "Two or three times a week. And you, how often do you jack off?" Her last two words were said with a little grin of mischievousness.

"Let's be clear here, I'm not asking to be voyeuristic. I genuinely want to know if I can please you. My questions are in that vein. For your information, I don't jack off, but I do masturbate almost every day when I take my morning shower."

His words were plainly spoken. They sounded so honest and informative that Janet merely nodded and did not feel embarrassed to know what he had told her.

She stood, leaning against the counter a few feet across from him, and accepted his next questions as an interest in having information about her.

"When do you stimulate yourself? And do you use toys or just your fingers?"

"Usually at night and I use my fingers," she answered easily, and then added, "Sometimes I use the sprayer attached to my showerhead."

"Are your nipples sensitive?"

"Sort of, I guess," Janet answered as she looked down at her feet. "I touch them myself, but I've never really wanted anyone else to touch them too much." Her voice was almost a whisper as she added, "Most men are sort of rough." She looked up at him when he said her name.

"Janet, will you promise me you won't stimulate yourself or masturbate for the next five days?"

Her quickly indrawn breath told him she knew exactly what he was asking. He did not want her touching herself until they were together Wednesday night.

Janet nodded slowly, "Are you ... will you...?"

"If it's what you want, I will also refrain. In fact, I'm looking forward to being around you for the next few days as the tension escalates. Does that do anything to you?"

A sudden blush worked its way up Janet's upper chest, darkened her neck, and filled her cheeks with color. She tilted her head to one side as her glance worked its way down Jake's chest, his flat stomach, and the slight tent behind the fly of the soft thigh length shorts he was wearing. Her eyes popped up to his eyes as a smile spread her lips attractively.

Jake raised his eyebrows, knowing what she was thinking. His voice was low and gruff when he asked, "Janet, are you wet?"

Her answer was barely audible with a hiss through her teeth, "Yes."

"Once again, Janet, will your parents miss you if you spend the night with me Wednesday night?"

Clearing her throat, Janet answered, "No, I usually have a lot of school work so I'm not gone at night very much. But if I'm going to be pretty late, I usually leave a note for them, letting them know where I'll be."

"What will you tell them about Wednesday night?" Although he didn't really intend to do it that way, he realized he was repeating the day he wanted to spend a whole night with her. Her reaction to the day and the questions she answered was telling him a lot more about her than she might have realized.

"I ... I'll tell them I'm spending the night with a man."

My name is Jackson H. Tranton. I'm a Senior Vice-President of Benys, Boyd and Associates in Clear Lake City. I've been with the company eight years, I own my home, and I've never been married. Will they ask you for any more information than that?"

"No, that should be enough. Thank you."

***

Saturdays were a busy day for Billy Tranton and thus in his absence, it was a busy day for Jake. He expected to sit at the desk most of the day, taking calls, or returning those from people who left a message on the second line while he was talking to someone on the first line. There were eight dogs about ready for delivery to a new owner who would attend up to two weeks training with the animal. Billy had the full training schedule documented for each animal, their pedigree was traced, and some had specialized skills which Jake could list but would not describe in detail. A potential purchaser would need to be present for a full demonstration. Only because Billy was so good at documenting everything could Jake have managed to sit at the desk and feel he was doing a barely adequate job.

He began each conversation with the explanation that he was filling in for Billy Tranton and would help as much as he could or return the call later with any specific information the dog's file did not contain. Because Jake and Billy's father had also been a dog trainer, Jake could manage to answer some questions and he made careful notes of questions Billy needed to answer when he returned a call.

"Tranton Tracking."

"Hi, Jake."

"Good afternoon, Janet. I didn't see you at the kennels this morning."

"I was out there real early. Today's a day I volunteer at the shelter. Lots of people come by to select a pet on Saturdays. It's going to be hot today. Can you check water pans later, or do I need to come out to do that."

"I can do that. What are you doing later, after you leave the shelter?"

"Oh, I haven't thought about it."

"Come watch a movie with me."

"Really? Okay, what movie."

"Whatever you like, Billy has a good library or you can pick one up you're interested in seeing, even if it's a chick flick."

Scoffing, Janet replied, "You don't like chick flicks."

Jake chuckled and added, "I'll enjoy anything you want to watch in exchange for spending a few hours with you. I'll even make the popcorn."

"Are you serious?

"Yes, I'm very serious. How else can I get to know you? I don't want to take a stranger to bed on Wednesday night." Jake did it intentionally this time, mentioning the day and what he planned for her later in the week.

***

When Janet arrived, Jake made sure she had eaten supper. He suggested she look through Billy's movie collection to find one that interested her while he made the popcorn. After eating most of the snack, without prompting, Janet snuggled against Jake as he put his arm around her shoulders.

When the major love scene of the movie began, Janet lifted her head and kissed Jake on the cheek. It was just a quick little peck and was probably induced by the actors in the movie who where involved in some very intense kissing while they tore each other's clothes off.

Jake turned his head and kissed Janet lightly at the temple. "Does this part of a movie excite you?"

"Yeah, doesn't it do the same to you?"

Jake was silent for a moment, then he said, "Yes, it does, but I'd rather see some tenderness than just button popping. It wouldn't make good entertainment, but it would be more realistic."

"You are a strange man, Jake."

"No I'm not, I'm just a man. Did I tell you how pretty you are tonight?"

Janet turned her face up to look at him, "I'm not sure you actually said anything, but I guess I could tell from the look on your face."

"Is that enough for you, or do you want the words, too?"

"Oh, I don't know. I don't want you to say something just to give me a compliment, but I guess I like some words, too."

"I see," Jake answered. "So what words? Just a simple, 'You look nice,' 'I like your hair like that,', 'Lord you smell luscious'? Or should I show you? Maybe I should put my arms around you, kiss you senseless, and tell you that I'm going to have a hard time waiting for Wednesday night."

"Are you?"

"Oh yes, you just don't know."

Before she could respond Jake turned her and was kissing her as he leaned back on the couch, pulling her on top of him. Their kisses grew with intensity and their arms moved around each other until they were both panting and breathless.

"Easy, baby," Jake whispered in her ear as he moved his hands down to press her hips against his trapped erection to slow her movements while she was moving herself against him.

Putting his hands on Janet's shoulders, he told her. "Sit up." When she was sitting upright he slipped his hands under the soft cotton shirt she was wearing, his hands moving from side to side across her stomach. "Your skin is so soft."

Janet leaned forward and kissed Jake. He pushed against her again and she returned to her upright position.

"May I take this off?" He asked as he lifted the lower edge of her shirt.

Faster than Jake could move, Janet reached down and pulled her shirt up and over her head. Jake laughed as he placed his palms on her breasts.

"You don't need to be in a hurry." He did not cup his fingers around her breasts. She had told him most men were too rough with them. Instead, he was just barely touching her. Janet shuddered and lifted her chin until her head was as far back as it would go while she breathed heavily.

One after the other, he took his hand from a breast and slipped the straps of her bra off her shoulders and then pulled downward until both breasts were uncovered. He placed his fingers on her sides and lightly brushed his thumbs across her nipples.

In a slow circular motion, Jake's thumbs moved around her stiffening nipples, while Janet watched his thumbs moving against her skin. He wasn't even touching the nipples as they grew harder and harder. His fingers tightened around her ribs as he pulled her toward his mouth. With his flat tongue he brushed across each nipple and then pushed her back upright.

Jake watched Janet's face as he pulled the top lace edge of her bra back up to cover her breasts and raised the straps over her shoulders. He could tell from the look on her face that she did not understand.

He pulled her down to rest on top of him. "To me, that's part of the difference between fucking and making love to a woman. Now do you understand?"

Janet nodded and fully relaxed against him. Jake's hands moved up and down her back, stroking her, as he felt her soft breath against his neck. "I'd like to spend the day with you tomorrow. Can you do that, after you wash the kennels and run the dogs?"

"Yes, but I need to be home for supper. My aunt and uncle are coming over. I promised I'd be there."

"That's fine. I don't want to take you away from your family or anything else you need to do. I'd just like to spend the day with you. Is there something you'd like to do? I'm sort of thinking about going to the Peddler's Market for a little while."

"That sounds like fun. I haven't been out there in a couple of years."

"It's getting late, Janet. If you want to spend the night, you sleep in Cathy's room, not with me."

"No, I need to go home."

***

After an hour of wandering around the first few displays at the front of the Peddler's Market, Jake suggested they eat hot dogs at the center concession stand. For the remainder of the afternoon they walked through the market, holding hands or lacing an arm around each other's waist. They talked about things in the various displays and how they spent their leisure time.

"Have you thought about what you want for your reward?"

"Reward?"

"Remember? You will have my full attention and affection 'forsaking all others' and I am to receive the same from you," Jake responded, reminding her that he had promised her a reward if she was able to do it.

"What kind of reward did you have in mind?"

Jake laughed, full boisterous laughter, such as Janet had not heard from him before. "I'm not the one who mentioned a reward. You asked for it. I already know what my reward will be."

"You do?"

"Oh yes."

"What is it?"

As they walked out of one display of pottery going to the next tent, Jake stopped her and kissed her quickly. "I think I'll just wait and see if you can figure out what I'll have as my reward."

"That's not fair."

"Perhaps when you can tell me what you want for your reward, I can tell you about mine."

Janet declined to come inside the house when they returned from the Peddler's Market. She really needed to be at home for the small family dinner with her aunt and uncle. As Jake backed her against her car door while he kissed her, he was already regretting he had agreed to refrain from any sexual activity until Wednesday night. Janet had her arms around him while she lifted one leg and wrapped it around his hip, allowing his erection to grind against the crotch of her jeans. She moved her hips back and forth and groaned against his mouth.

Finally able to detach himself from her, he kissed her hard and told her to go home. He stood while she backed out of the driveway and raised a cloud of dust as her small car travelled down the road toward the main highway. Jake walked across the patio and unlocked the back door, then changed his mind and walked toward the pool, shedding shirt, jeans, shoes and socks before plunging into the cold water and swimming several laps. When he was finally dragging his panting body out of the water, his erection had subsided, but he was not satisfied.

Janet hadn't done anything overt to keep him stimulated all afternoon, she had simply been too near, too sharing of her light-hearted laughter, and showed him too much of her sparkling personality. When they discussed her crush on his brother Billy, Jake had told her he understood infatuation. Yet, he was not certain he truly understood. Several times over the afternoon he had taken Janet's hand and felt a tingle when he touched her. He'd put his arm around her shoulders and felt an increase in perspiration which could not be attributed to the heat of the day. He had watched her lithe body reach overhead to feel the fabric of a shirt hanging from an awning or bend over to look at something on a low shelf, and he had noticed his own increased rate of breathing. He had stood near her when she pointed out something for him to look at, giving him a faint whiff of the soap or body wash she used or the fragrance of her shampoo and he had closed his eyes as he took a deep breath appreciating her nearness.

He shook the water off his body, collected his clothing and went inside to put on his walking shorts. While he heated one of the meals Cathy had prepared for him, he reviewed the few women he had been intimate with in the past and could not recall what a single one of them smelled like, yet he could take a deep breath and know the exact smell of Janet. He was not wearing any clothing he had worn when she was around and there wasn't anything in the house that might have retained her essence.

"Damn," he breathed, stopping in the middle of the kitchen as he carried his meal to the table. He placed the food on the table and opened the packaging but did not pick up the fork. Instead he sat looking out the window as the last light of the day faded.

"Oh God," his voice was no louder as he worked through his internal questions.

Abandoning his supper, he went to the couch, propped a couple of pillows in the corner and relaxed. He looked at the painting above the mantel, wishing he had the live woman to talk to as he had done when he was much younger. The painting showed his mother sitting quietly, appearing serene with her hands folded in her lap. The rings on her finger sparkled as he remembered them sparkling when she gestured as she talked to him, Billy, or their father. She was a strong woman who allowed them to speak their mind. Yet she taught her men to be a gentleman and how to make a female feel like a lady.

Jake imagined he was talking to her as he made a mental list of 'For' and 'Against' until the realization came to him that he had not put a single item on the 'Against' side. Just to make sure he wasn't being foolish, he tried to pretend he was making the same list for his feelings about the Samantha he knew one month ago. Before he abandoned the exercise, he had as many items on the 'Against' side as he had listed on the 'For' side. He should have told his mother about Samantha a long time ago, he might have saved himself some heartache.

Several hours later, he woke on the couch and silently thanked his mother for her help. He dragged his exhausted body to the bedroom, stripped and crawled between the sheets. His mind was settled after his mental exercises. Yet, the feeling he might need to call his little brother for advice was slightly disturbing.

Had Jake known Janet was having similar thoughts, he would have been thoroughly surprised. Although he was beyond the idea that she was frivolous, he had not yet realized she was as mature in her thinking as she was. He would have been greatly surprised if he had known how often she mentioned his name to her mother or her father. He might have been embarrassed about how her aunt and uncle looked at each other each time she repeated something Jake had told her.

Janet had no reason to go through the 'For' and 'Against' exercise. She had less doubt about her judgment than Jake did. She knew she was in love with him. She also knew she just had to wait for him to figure out that he loved her.

***

Monday morning, Jake caught Janet as she was getting into her car and kissed her. It was one of those long slow kisses, leaving both of them panting and wishing she didn't have to leave. She explained that she couldn't come out that evening. She had a study group and a major exam the next day, but she would see him the following morning.

Jake put it off several times, but finally called Billy, "Hey little brother, how was your week-end?"

"Oh man, I can't thank you enough for agreeing to stay there for us. Cathy and I had a long discussion about not getting enough time to ourselves. We've really got to work on that a little harder. Hey, did Sam decide to come stay with you?"

"No-o-o. I was going to tell you about Samantha, we just didn't have time to talk before you had to leave."

The two brothers spent a while talking about Jake's broken relationship with Samantha Benys. Billy admitted that he didn't know her very well, but he wasn't too surprised at the break-up. He thought Jake might have been pushing the relationship because he had so much respect for his boss, Samantha's father, Charles Benys.

In an effort to change the subject, Jake commented, "Oh, I didn't tell ya. I met Janet Beyer."